TRANSCRIBED FROM CLEVELAND COUNTY HERALD AUGUST 22, 1918 P. 1
Camp Merritt, N.J., Aug. 13, 1918.
The Cleveland County Herald, Rison, Ark.
As we cannot communicate personally with all our friends we look to reach them in this way. We have been in the army about 10 weeks now and find it one of the finest things for the physical man that anyone can find, and our army life has been very pleasant. Of course we miss with relatives and friends, but in times like these one has to make some sacrifice. We would advise anyone who are thinking or expecting to join the army to join the home guards and get some military training as it will be lots of help when he gets here. Anyone with military experience is sure to make a non-commissioned officer and that releases him from nearly all of the hard work.
We just landed in this camp yesterday and find cooler and also damper climate than Camp Pike. We came via. East St. Louis, Indianapolis, Springfield, Rochester, and other places of less note. At all of the above named places we stopped, and at some of them we hiked over the town. And at all of them we were met by the Red Cross ladies and given cigarets, candy, ice cream and other things to eat and we learned before we landed to look for the Red Cross when the train pulled into a station, for we always found them kind and very thoughtful of our welfare. So we cannot speak too highly of them.
We have at last struck the camp where they are forcing the boys to have their hair cut short. Some of the doys are sorry to give up their golden locks, the most noted of these is our Sergeant, J. H. Ward (also of Cleveland County) who says his “girl gave him orders not to have his hair cut short.” Now we claim he is in hard luck.
This camp is just thirteen miles from New York City, and some of the boys are highly expectant of a trip up there. It is also just 5 miles from the coast, so we are told.
We will close our letter lest it become tiresome. We will be glad to hear from all of you.
Walter A. Jones, Ari A. Powers, Jno. T. Saeler.
15th. Co. Camp Pike, July Automatic Replacement Draft, A. E. F. Via New York.
Camp Meritt, N. J.
NOTES: John Theodore Saeler was born on September 28, 1896 and died August 23, 1964. He is buried in the Kingsland Cemetery in Cleveland County.
TRANSCRIBED BY MICHAEL FREDERICKS
Camp Merritt, N.J., Aug. 13, 1918.
The Cleveland County Herald, Rison, Ark.
As we cannot communicate personally with all our friends we look to reach them in this way. We have been in the army about 10 weeks now and find it one of the finest things for the physical man that anyone can find, and our army life has been very pleasant. Of course we miss with relatives and friends, but in times like these one has to make some sacrifice. We would advise anyone who are thinking or expecting to join the army to join the home guards and get some military training as it will be lots of help when he gets here. Anyone with military experience is sure to make a non-commissioned officer and that releases him from nearly all of the hard work.
We just landed in this camp yesterday and find cooler and also damper climate than Camp Pike. We came via. East St. Louis, Indianapolis, Springfield, Rochester, and other places of less note. At all of the above named places we stopped, and at some of them we hiked over the town. And at all of them we were met by the Red Cross ladies and given cigarets, candy, ice cream and other things to eat and we learned before we landed to look for the Red Cross when the train pulled into a station, for we always found them kind and very thoughtful of our welfare. So we cannot speak too highly of them.
We have at last struck the camp where they are forcing the boys to have their hair cut short. Some of the doys are sorry to give up their golden locks, the most noted of these is our Sergeant, J. H. Ward (also of Cleveland County) who says his “girl gave him orders not to have his hair cut short.” Now we claim he is in hard luck.
This camp is just thirteen miles from New York City, and some of the boys are highly expectant of a trip up there. It is also just 5 miles from the coast, so we are told.
We will close our letter lest it become tiresome. We will be glad to hear from all of you.
Walter A. Jones, Ari A. Powers, Jno. T. Saeler.
15th. Co. Camp Pike, July Automatic Replacement Draft, A. E. F. Via New York.
Camp Meritt, N. J.
NOTES: John Theodore Saeler was born on September 28, 1896 and died August 23, 1964. He is buried in the Kingsland Cemetery in Cleveland County.
TRANSCRIBED BY MICHAEL FREDERICKS